Human prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) has been used for diagnosis of prostate cancer, the most commonly found cancer in United States males. To improve the use of PAP as a diagnostic marker of prostate cancer, the amino acid sequence and antigenic structure of human PAP have been determined by sequencing protein and cDNA. Human PAP enzymes have also been compared with other acid phosphatases from lung and spleen. The antigenic determinants of human PAP as well as lysosomal acid phosphatase have been characterized. Human genomic clones containing PAP gene have been isolated and the exon-intron organization of PAP gene have been isolated and the exon-intron organization of PAP gene has been illustrated. The regulation of human PAP gene expression by androgen will be investigated.